It's easy to be a good dieter. I heard this on a diploma course I was attending the other day and it is true. There are many ways to lose weight which, whilst not always being very healthy, with some discipline will definitely get the job done. You eat a lot less over a given period of time, you lose water, muscle and fat and you weigh less - hoorah! But the fact of the statistics is that these traditional methods of weight loss do not provide lasting weight management. So maintaining the weight loss is definitely the challenge. How do you truly lose weight and keep it off?
There is some recent research by the NWCR in America (National Weight Control Registry) which concluded the steps required to keep weight successfully managed over a lifetime and I'm sharing them with you!
All of these are possible to learn and develop. Yes, it takes longer than a quickie 'shake and cereal bar' regime, but then the results last longer (a lot longer....), so it's worth it. And not only will you maintain a healthy weight, you will also improve your health (mental and physical).
So here they are:
Learn to understand appetite sensitivity
Eliminate all thoughts of quick fix diet plans and time or number specific weight loss goals
Tune in to your drivers for eating, understand and address them
Focus on behaviour change and health as your goals
Learn how to talk to yourself in a way which creates positive actions around food
Develop a mindful awareness of how you are eating
Eat regularly, including breakfast
Build your nutritional knowledge to improve gut function and reduce insulin sensitivity
Plan and problem solve to find a way of eating and moving your body which fits into your lifestyle (see my planning article here)
Make a lasting commitment to yourself that you want to change how you behave around food.
By following these practices you CAN achieve healthy weight management and change how you behave around food. If you want personal support to get there please get in touch. I'm here to help. xx
Klem ML, Wing RR, McGuire MT, Seagle HM, Hill JO. A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Aug;66(2):239-46. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/66.2.239. PMID: 9250100.
Sarlio-Lähteenkorva S, Rissanen A. Weight loss maintenance: determinants of long-term success. Eat Weight Disord. 1998 Sep;3(3):131-5. doi: 10.1007/BF03340000. PMID: 10728162.